An Englishman of forty years residence in Wales pontificates about politics (slightly off-message), films and trivia. Secretary of Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats. Candidate for Neath in the Westminster elections of 1997 & 2017 and the Welsh general election of 2016.

Saturday, 12 September 2015

Voting for women

Sadiq Khan beat two high-profile women to the Labour candidacy for London mayor.

Tom Watson beat three women, two with extensive front-bench experience, to the deputy leadership.

Most tellingly, Yvette Cooper, whose chances were being talked up in the latter half of the contest, and Liz Kendall finished bottom of the poll for leadership of the partyon first preference votes.

Perhaps now we will have that long-overdue academic study on how women candidates are perceived by voters. It is however unlikely that Labour will cease to lecture other parties on gender equality.